Le Scarpe e Lo Stomaco
The thrill of my Italian class is still fresh, although I am finding the balance of work and class a bit tedious. What keeps me going is the desire to regain a bit of the low-level fluency that I worked so hard to attain. Frankly, I find the standard classroom approach to learning a second language rather inhibiting. While grammar reviews and verb drills are wonderful and necessary, there is no better path to language learning than opening your mouth and letting the language stumble and tumble out.
I like to watch Italian television and films to tune the ear to the language, but the one I watched last night was impossible to enjoy. Sedotta e abbondonatta (Seduced and Abandoned) is of that period in Italian film where Southern Italians are characterized as dirty, sweaty, screaming hot-heads with fierce fists. Maybe filmmakers of this particular era were mocking certain Italian stereotypes, but I can barely stand to watch these movies -- all of the noise and the shouting!
In fact, I found myself feeling anxious for the movie to end. That is when I thought about my post and how I can control some of the beauty and ugliness that comes into my life. I immediately ejected the DVD and sealed it back into the Blockbuster envelope. Although it does nothing to improve my Italian, I would rather savour an hour of The Travel Channel's Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe than endure a 120-minute marathon of screaming.
Thank you all for your concern for my health. I felt better over the weekend, but I awoke yesterday with a gripping abdominal pain. In spite of the "gut" ache, I went to work. After all, what fun is a sick day when you are actually sick? A curious aside: why is it that I feel tip-top Saturday and Sunday but suffer all manner of ills Monday through Friday?
To make myself feel better, I wore the new Mary Janes and carried the new handbag yesterday.
I like to watch Italian television and films to tune the ear to the language, but the one I watched last night was impossible to enjoy. Sedotta e abbondonatta (Seduced and Abandoned) is of that period in Italian film where Southern Italians are characterized as dirty, sweaty, screaming hot-heads with fierce fists. Maybe filmmakers of this particular era were mocking certain Italian stereotypes, but I can barely stand to watch these movies -- all of the noise and the shouting!
In fact, I found myself feeling anxious for the movie to end. That is when I thought about my post and how I can control some of the beauty and ugliness that comes into my life. I immediately ejected the DVD and sealed it back into the Blockbuster envelope. Although it does nothing to improve my Italian, I would rather savour an hour of The Travel Channel's Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe than endure a 120-minute marathon of screaming.
Thank you all for your concern for my health. I felt better over the weekend, but I awoke yesterday with a gripping abdominal pain. In spite of the "gut" ache, I went to work. After all, what fun is a sick day when you are actually sick? A curious aside: why is it that I feel tip-top Saturday and Sunday but suffer all manner of ills Monday through Friday?
To make myself feel better, I wore the new Mary Janes and carried the new handbag yesterday.
Labels: Italian
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